1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dual mode signal processing apparatus and method using a picture-in-picture (PIP) window, and more particularly to a display apparatus and a function switching apparatus displaying two views for DSPs performing different functions in use of a PIP window so that two functions are simultaneously performed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, the digital signal processor (DSP) is widely used to process a digital signal in real time. The digital signal is generally defined in series numbers or digital values used for representing an analog signal corresponding thereto. The DSP is used in diverse products including audio systems such as small-sized disc players, wireless communication systems such as cellular phones, digital still cameras (DSCs), and digital video camcorder (DVCs).
Recently, dual-function product groups have been in high demand, each of which being sold in one product having two or more combined functions according to the necessity of combination products. In particular, technologies have been actively developed to implement in one product the functions of the DVC recording moving pictures and the DSC taking still images.
This is because the DSC and the DVC have similar functions to each other, having a display unit, a view finder, and a digital signal processor.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show the conventional technology incorporating a DSC and a DVC together. FIG. 1 is a perspective view for showing a conventional picture-taking apparatus combining a digital still camera and a digital video camcorder, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram for showing the conventional picture-taking apparatus. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a main body of the picture-taking apparatus has a DSC signal conversion unit 40, a DVC signal conversion unit 45, a still image codec unit 50, a moving picture codec unit 65, a storage unit 60, an input unit 70, a display unit 80, and a control unit 90 therein.
A camera part 20 is provided with a housing 15 installed to swivel to a certain angle, a first camera 22 taking still images, and a second camera 24 taking moving pictures. Ordinarily, the first camera 22 and the second camera 24 (not visible in FIG. 1) are disposed opposite to each other in the camera part 20.
Accordingly, the camera part 20 rotates to a certain angle in a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction shown with reference to the rotation axis X. Preferably, the DSC lens group 22a and the DVC lens group 24a rotate along with camera part 20, and keep parallel with the picture-taking direction A. That is, when the housing 15 is manually swiveled by 180° or substantially 180° as shown in FIG. 1, it is preferable that the positions of the DSC lens group 22a and the DVC lens group 24a are interchanged.
Referring to FIG. 2, the first camera 22 has the DSC lens group 22a, a DSC driving unit 22b, a DSC detection unit 22c, and a DSC picture-taking unit 22d. The DSC lens group 22a is for taking still images, and the DSC driving unit 22b moves a DSC zoom lens (not shown) and a DSC focus lens (not shown) according to controls of the control unit 90.
The DSC detection unit 22c is a sensor for detecting lens positions according to the controls of the control unit 90. DSC picture-taking unit 22d converts an image signal for a subject passing through the DSC zoom lens(not shown) and the DSC focus lens(not shown) into an electric image signal by using a charge coupled device (not shown).
The second camera 24 has the DVC lens group 24a, a DVC driving unit 24b, a DVC detection unit 24c, and a DVC picture-taking unit 24d the operations of which are substantially the same as those of the first camera.
The DSC signal conversion unit 40 and the DVC signal conversion unit 45 remove noise included in the electric signals outputted from the DSC picture-taking unit 22d and the DVC picture-taking unit 24c, and amplify the gains in order for the levels of image signals converted into the electric signals to be outputted uniformly. Further, the DSC signal conversion unit 40 and the DVC signal conversion unit 45 respectively convert analog image signals that have been converted into electric signals into digital image signals, process the digital image signals, and output automatic control data.
The still image codec unit 50 compresses a still image signal outputted from the DSC signal conversion unit 40 by the controls of the control unit 90 using a compression process such as JPEG. The compressed still image data is stored in a storage medium such as a flash memory 62 of the storage unit 60.
The moving picture codec unit 65 compresses a moving-picture signal outputted from the DVC signal conversion unit 45 using a compression process such as MPEG by the controls of the control unit 90. The compressed moving-picture data is stored in a storage medium such as a tape 64.
If a reproduction command signal for a stored image signal is inputted from the input unit 70, the still image codec unit 50 and the moving picture codec unit 55 decompress the compressed coded data stored in the flash memory 62 and the tape 64.
For example, if a reproduction command signal for a still image is input from the input unit 70, the still image codec unit 50 decompresses the still image-coded data stored in the flash memory 62 and outputs the decompressed data to the display unit 80.
The input unit 70 has a picture-taking button 70a and plural operation buttons (not shown) for function performance to apply a picture-taking command signal for a subject to the control unit 90.
The display unit 80 has a view finder 82 or an LCD panel 84 provided on one side of the main body 10. The display unit 80 displays images captured through the DSC 22 or the DVC 24, or decompressed images according to the controls of the control unit 90.
The control unit 90 controls the overall operations of the picture-taking apparatus by using automatic control data outputted from various control programs stored in the storage unit 60 and the DSC signal conversion unit 40 or the DVC signal conversion unit 45.
The control unit 90 determines a picture-taking mode based on an output signal of the mode detection unit 30, and drives the camera part 20 according to the determined picture-taking mode. For example, if a signal indicating that the DSC 22 is turned on and the DVC 24 is turned off is inputted, the control unit 90 determines that the picture-taking mode of the camera unit 20 is in a still image mode.
Furthermore, if a picture-taking command signal is inputted from the picture-taking button 70a, the control unit 90 drives the DSC 22 based on the still image mode. If the control unit 90 is applied with a recording command signal from the input unit 70, the control unit 90 controls the still image codec unit 50 to compress an image signal for a picture-taken subject, and, if the control unit 90 inputs a reproduction command signal, the control unit 90 controls the still image codec unit 50 to decompress the compressed image signal, and displays the decompressed image signal on the display unit 80.
The combination of the DSC and the DVC as described above increases the number of function buttons for controlling the respective systems so that the combined product becomes complicated, causing difficulties in use.